A little girls has an obsession with the queen. Not about her jewels or throne or castle, but about her purse. What could she be carrying in her handbag? What could a queen possibly need? When fate tosses her a chance to find out, she is very surprised and in keeping the secret makes a new — and royal — friend. A cute story from Canada where they are still connected with that whole queen thing. The rhyming text was uneven in quality, with the best bits describing the possibilities of what the bag might contain, “A pink velvet cape in case of a chill? A stout walking stick in case of a hill?” The illustrations are bright and friendly, and the book would be fun to share with preschoolers who will enjoy the image of a modern-day queen — and being part of the secret.

The Rundown

One of the bestselling preschool books of recent times was Walter the Farting Dog. At the same time, the American Library Association named as one of its best books Michael Rosen’s Sad Book, a book in which Mr. Rosen talks about his despair over the death of his son. I believe that, for most of us, what we want lies somewhere between a flatulent canine and overwhelming grief.